I spent a fair amount of time searching bikes online and visiting some of the local bikeshops and chain stores. I initially shied away from the Trek brand because of their behemoth status in the industry, but I'm glad that I finally had an opportunity to check out some of their bikes at one of my local shops. The Madone was great, but I'm 44 with a cranky back and wanted something with a slightly more relaxed geometry. The Domane was nice, but felt a bit lifeless on the road. I was coming from a comfy 10 year old steel Lemond, so perhaps my expectations were a bit different for carbon bikes.
After trying a few more bike brands and riding at other shops, the salesperson said "we need to get you on an Emonda". After a 15 minute demo ride, I was hooked.
The best way to describe the bike is that it provides the perfect balance between race ready and endurance bikes. Fast and nimble, but still extremely comfortable. It's super lightweight, and I'm constantly amazed at the climbing ability of this thing. It feels like I'm being pulled by a cable up the hills. I'm waiting for my friends at the top of the hill now.
I've owned it for nearly 6 weeks and have about 400-500 miles and I couldn't be happier. I've added the Bontrager bluetooth enabled computer, and went through a proper bike fitting with a modified stem and cleat positioning. The Ultegra 6800 group is excellent, many compare it to the previous version of Dura Ace. I did upgrade the wheels and tires, which has made a notable difference in the ride quality. It comes stock with Bontrager Race wheels, which is their entry level road wheel and hubset and 23mm R2 tires. I wish they would have at least included the Race Lite edition wheel set, but it's still a lot of bike for the way they've priced it. If you don't want to spend extra on wheels, I'd at least recommend moving up to some wider tires such as a 25mm. I'm 200 lbs, so it made a noticeable difference in the ride quality. I also upgraded the to an 11-32T cassette (my expense) to give me a few extra gears for our steep hills. This required a swap of the rear derailleur with a medium cage.
To net things out, this is a fantastic bike that you'll want to ride as often as you can. Go test ride one!